The delayed but no-less-sincere Year of Women write-up

[mundungus42]

So 2011 was my Year of Women reading theme, including books by women and featuring interesting female protagonists. I read 31 books as part of the theme and am listing the ones I rated 4 or 5 stars at Goodreads below- more than half of them, which shows that it was a highly enjoyable year!

Comments

[dickgloucester]

Wow - you've got some intriguing-looking books here. But my to-read pile is already enormous!

Orlando is a great book, I agree. Persuasion is probably my favourite Austen. Villette is definitely Bronte's best book. Much as I adore Jane Eyre, I find myself completely drawn into the less melodramatic world of Villette, and I really like Lucy. Her bitingly sarcastic wit is particularly enjoyable.

[mundungus42]

There were some other good ones that I enjoyed but didn't think quite highly enough of to give 4+ stars, but I'd call this an exceptionally successful reading theme.

I was so relieved that Orlando wasn't trying to be Joyce with a sprinkling of social justice the way Mrs. Dalloway was. And Persuasion was absolutely brilliant- I adored every word. And you were the one who recced Villette to me, and I'm so glad you did! Jane Eyre- well, it's still the book I adored when I was 15, for all that to a 30+ year old, romantic Mr. Rochester is a bit of a creep. By contrast, what a pleasant surprise it was to see obnoxious M. Paul evolve into someone wonderful! <3!!

[pers1stence]

Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy

[mundungus42]

I really liked the precision of Hardy's writing, songs, epigraphs, and just about everything, even though I wanted to throw Angel under an omnibus. I guess I have a high tolerance for the Victorians. Knowing this about myself, I might have to give Dickens another try sometime. *braces for Bleak House*

Ooo, I have "State of Wonder" but haven't read it yet! I will try to read it soon so I can concur or argue with you about the ending :D

I loved Orlando, and I wasn't expecting to. I just hoped to dislike it less than Mrs. Dalloway, which I didn't care for except for the party chapter which made me say, "Why couldn't she write like this for the entire book?"

I think you'll like "The Good Earth." And if you do, Knut Hamsun's "Growth of the Soil" is in a similar vein and also wonderful.

I need to read more Hurston. And she recorded some of the songs she sang in FL!

[pers1stence]

It's not Victorians generally that I have a problem with, just Hardy.

[mundungus42]

Heh, gotcha. I won't be recommending his poetry to you, then :D There are still so many Victorians I should read- there are just some (ACD) I adore so ardently that I just want to re-read them!

[tonksinger]

~adds to Memories~ for future reading suggestions.

I love Orlando so much. A brilliant mind completely at play is a wonderful thing to behold. It's so fun.

I've got a copy of Villette sitting around, and I've been meaning to read it for yoinks. Ann Patchett is one of those authors I keep seeing in used bookshops, but never quite get around to buying.

[mundungus42]

A brilliant mind completely at play is a wonderful thing to beholdIt makes me wonder why people try so hard to make their writing Deep and Important when the fun stuff they write is so much more about humanity, more clearly written, and makes you want to keep reading rather than throw the book on the floor. You can tell from reading her that Austen probably cracked herself up while writing, and you know Arthur Conan Doyle loved having an excuse to write about science and exploration and other things that interested him. Writing that's fun is what people remember. Even Tolstoy and Hardy let their senses of humor out to play every now and then. This is not to say that cerebral can't be fun (see Thomas Mann), but I'd rather love a book (DFW) than simply admire the craft (Faulkner

[tonksinger]

My Vilette is an old edition that I picked up at a used book sale, but I can usually stumble through French.

It makes me wonder why people try so hard to make their writing Deep and Important when the fun stuff they write is so much more about humanity, more clearly written, and makes you want to keep reading rather than throw the book on the floor.

Word. This is why I can't stand so much of modern "literary" fiction; it's all Deep and Thoughtful and about people who stand around Thinking Deep and Thoughtful Things but never DO anything. I started some book earlier in the year that was longlisted for the Orange Prize, but it was just dire. Whiny writer main character, small issues blown out of proportion for the sake of angst. Ugh.

[mundungus42]

Blech, sounds like a couple of the books that I read last year that didn't make the recommended list (one literary memoir, one by an overrated new novelist). LAME.

Literary fiction can be awesome, but it's so affected by the vagaries of what's trendy, and those trends are too frequently shortcuts that will date the piece rather than something like a distinct authorial voice.

[alicroc]

I'm surprised that The Help didn't make your list for the Year of Women....never too late tho...the book, imo, is better than the film...and the film was alright in my opinion too...but the book was really special.

Another one that I really liked was The Secret Life of Bees.

I have a feeling you're probably not into popular fiction as I am...but whatevs :)

I'm currently reading Ozzy Osbournes biography...and it's bleeding hilarious..don't think I've laughed out loud on almost every page in a long while. But it's probably because its written as he speaks, and I've got a fantastic Brummy accent going in my head as i read it.

[mundungus42]

Thanks for the rec about the Secret Life of Bees- that one's been floating around on the to-read list for a while. I just have a huge pile of books that I already own to get through first

[pokeystar]

I still recommend The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. She's an excellent writer.

Also? Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons is smashing. The movie version is wonderful too.

[mundungus42]

Have added both to the to-read list! Thank you for the recs!